The present invention relates to latching mechanisms for container closures. In particular the invention is concerned with a mechanism for latching in the closed position the door or drawer of a fire-resistant container for the protection of magnetic data media or other like temperature-sensitive articles (for convenience herein such containers will hereafter be referred to as "data cabinets"), although mechanisms according to the invention may be of more general utility in relation to the latching of container closures where similar design considerations apply.
It is evident that the door, drawer or other closure of a data cabinet must fit tightly to the body of the cabinet when closed in order to minimise the risk of hot gases leaking into the cabinet around the door under fire conditions. Furthermore it must be recognised that when exposed to a fire there is a considerable risk that thermal distortion of the cabinet--or impacts due to falling debris or the collapse of the floor upon which the cabinet is standing--may tend to open up gaps around the closure, particularly in the larger sizes of cabinet. For this reason it is desirable to provide a plurality of latching points for the closure. It is also an aim of the invention to provide a mechanism which, for user-convenience, permits slam-closing of the closure.
The invention accordingly resides in a latching mechanism for the closure of a container comprising a plurality of spaced-apart latching elements biased to extend into latching positions in which they are adapted to retain the closure in its closed position; means for withdrawing the latching elements from their latching positions in response to operation of a handle or other like user-operable member; retaining means for automatically retaining the latching elements in their withdrawn positions consequent upon the aforesaid withdrawal; and release means for automatically releasing said retaining means, thereby to allow the latching elements to move to their latching positions, consequent upon movement of the closure to its closed position.
The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: